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George Mason’s Religious Studies Department offers programs and courses designed to foster the comparative study of the world’s religious traditions. In their research and teaching, our faculty explores the many dimensions of religion, including its spiritual, historical, cultural, and social aspects. Students are challenged to think critically and constructively about the religious foundations of values and ethics, as well as the important—but often misunderstood—role that religions play in today’s complex world.

The Religious Studies major is a good choice for those seeking to work in the government, service, or nonprofit sectors, as well as for those who intend to pursue graduate work in the humanities.

RELI 350: How did the world of the Bible begin: a few farmers, some migrants and a handful of refugees eventually created a religion that gave us the Old Testament and was the direct ancestor of Christianity and Islam?